As is known, the tie is produced using a strip of fabric with the ends cut in a tip shape, which is sewn to the lining and subsequently folded again in a proper way.
The sewing carried out with automated machines presents particular problems regarding the quality of the results in comparison with the sewing carried out with a traditional machine. These problems have been partially resolved with the tie tip finishing apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,885 of Bennison. In the aforementioned patent, a device for the sewing of tie ends is disclosed, including a base on which is placed a first fabric on which, in turn, is placed a blade having upward protruding borders at one or more corners. Thus, by superimposing on it another properly conformed fabric, by closing said fabrics and the blade between said base and a cover, and through said upward protruding borders, upward folds are formed on the upper fabric at the corners in such a way so as to allow the sewing of the two fabrics along the respective entire contour.
While this allows that the lining be sewn to the entire external border of the fabric at the ends of the tie, said device of Bennison presents several inconveniences. First, when it is necessary to position the borders of the fabric to be sewn in the device of Bennison, one must be very careful that the upper fabric is placed further than the other fabric because, otherwise, when the cover is closed, the lower fabric backs up with respect to the upper fabric, causing evident unaesthetic effects after that the sewing has been performed. This operation described in Bennison requires a certain care on the part of the operator with the possibility, however, of having poor results when this operation is done without proper care.
Another serious inconvenience of the prior art of Bennison is the impossibility of being able to vary, with the same apparatus, the size of the rim. The possibility to be able to vary the size of the rim along the sides of the tip and flank in an independent manner is often important, since it is often required by the stylists who wish to offer a high quality product with hand type finishing. Further, the saving of material attained by reducing the rim, though apparently little, can be important, taking into account the high cost of fabric used, such as, very often silk.
Again, with the goal of reducing the cost of production of ties, it would naturally be desirable to be able to realize equipment which permits the use of one or more of tie tipping apparatus' in a work circuit which allows for the sewing of tie ends in succession, one after the other, reducing as much as possible the amount of dead time. The prior art tie sewing device of Bennison does not provide a completely automated work cycle, with the exception of inevitable and unproductive manual loading and unloading.